Sunday at Reliant Stadium was the third time this season Cushing needed his face bandaged. The bridge of his nose and his forehead have turned him into gold for game photographers, leaving them jumping to capture a colorful, old-school image.

“I notice a lot of people definitely like it, it’s gotten a lot of attention,” Cushing said. “I’d rather it just heal up right now. I’ve seen the pictures a lot. It definitely makes me look in character as an NFL linebacker. It fits the role.”

“That takes you back,” Houston defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said. “He seems to fit that well. He doesn’t want to bleed, but that’s toughness. I mean the guy’s a football player.”

A bloody face that makes for a great picture is hardly all that’s making Cushing look the part of an intimidating defensive force this season. He’s drawn raves from coaches, teammates, opponents and analysts as a central piece in what currently ranks as the NFL’s top defense.

"Wade Phillips' influence and the 3-4 defense uses more of his athleticism and he can be more physical,” said Derrick Brooks, the former Buccaneers linebacker who’s now general manager of the Tampa Bay Arena Football League team. “I believed that the new defense would have a good impact on him from day one.

“He moves around very similar to the linebackers in Green Bay, Pittsburgh and with the Jets. He also has avoided being the story off the field. This speaks to maturity as a man. And when things are in order off the field, that makes playing much more enjoyable.”

I had long talks with Cushing and Phillips this week. They break down best if we look at the three areas that have made a big difference for Cushing nine games into the season.

1. Phillips

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It was stuff that came easily and fit with those inherent instincts.

“Defense is recognition,” Phillips said. “Some guys have good eyes, they find the football well, they know when it’s cutting back and when it’s going outside. And he, of course, has the ability to make the plays when he gets there.

“Ten percent of players, maybe, have that. There are different degrees of it… Part of it is that his will to get to the football is superior. He’s a holy terror or a Tasmanian devil or whatever you want to call it. The guy’s going to get to the football. He’s rare in that category, he’s special. He can really get to the football as good as anybody I’ve been around.”

Cushing said he’s honored by that praise, especially considering the source.

“You hear so many things about an inside linebacker in a 3-4 defense just taking on guards all day,” Cushing said. “His defense is way more dynamic than that. I’m really his primary blitzer. There are different jobs for me on every play.”

As many as 15 times a game, Cushing blitzes. That’s a huge number for any linebacker.

I just love what this defense has become. We have some absolute beasts on this team now. They are like Spartans. Cushing, Watt, Brooks Reed, Antonio Smith, Barwin and company. I mean these guys are monsters!! You certainly can't call any of those guys "soft".

I've also been pleasantly surprised by Jonathan Joseph's "beast mode". I always thought he was more of a cover corner, but that guy can knock the tar out of people.

Seems as though we're not the only ones noticing that Cushmonster is a monster:

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4. It seems like a weekly thing, but Texans linebacker Brian Cushing deserves more praise this week for the way he played against Tampa Bay. He was all over the field. Cushing got a sack early in the game when he beat right guard Davin Joseph, who is having a good year himself, with a power blitz. He then made some big stops in the run game. He also made a nice tackle in coverage on third down on running back Kregg Lumpkin and later got an interception off a deflection. With all due respect to Patrick Willis, Cushing might be playing the best inside linebacker of anybody in the NFL.

Huge differnce is he absolutely ISNT on anything now, and he's got to work harder regardless. I fear that the steroids issue will follow him most, of his career, and of course it gives fuel for his opposition no matter how long he plays. That's a big scathe on what the guy's doing for our D squad.

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Originally Posted by mussop

I was 100 % wrong about this guy. I really wanted Mathews or Oher over Cushing. Glad i was wrong and glad he's a Texan.

Side note: So long as he stays away from illegal substances.

Side note addendum: So long as he doesn't get caught doing illegal substances.

Huge differnce is he absolutely ISNT on anything now, and he's got to work harder regardless. I fear that the steroids issue will follow him most, of his career, and of course it gives fuel for his opposition no matter how long he plays. That's a big scathe on what the guy's doing for our D squad.

Or he's found a way to not get caught.

I don't know for sure that he ever was on anything, but he's playing well now and it's awesome to see.

I don't know for sure that he ever was on anything, but he's playing well now and it's awesome to see.

I personally believe that most professional athletes are on some form of performance enhancing drug or another. I don't think steroids are necessarily the first choice now like they were a few years ago.

For example, the HCG that Cush tested positive for. Fifteen years ago, that would have been guilt by association because it was used exclusively to restore your normal testosterone production after a cycle. And that's why it's on the banned list. (As well as Clomid, the drug that replaced HCG in most bodybuilder's drug cycle.)

But recently, hCG has been used more and more as a DIET aid. At the time of Cush's positive test, I hadn't heard of it being used that way. But since then, I've heard more and more about it being used that way and that's the way I think Cush was probably using it.

That gets to my point. I think pro-level athletes are getting guys like Victor Conte and Patrick Arnold from the old BALCO scandal to come up with new drugs and drug cocktails to boost their performance that won't trip the tests that are currently being used. Like hGH, which has probably been phased out now that they're coming up with tests for it. Or like the blood doping techniques that bikers use except specific to football.

The problems with injuries could come from not having the off-season workouts but it could also come from guys no longer using hGH because the new CBA allows for hGH testing to start.

I personally believe that most professional athletes are on some form of performance enhancing drug or another. I don't think steroids are necessarily the first choice now like they were a few years ago.

For example, the HCG that Cush tested positive for. Fifteen years ago, that would have been guilt by association because it was used exclusively to restore your normal testosterone production after a cycle. And that's why it's on the banned list. (As well as Clomid, the drug that replaced HCG in most bodybuilder's drug cycle.)

But recently, hCG has been used more and more as a DIET aid. At the time of Cush's positive test, I hadn't heard of it being used that way. But since then, I've heard more and more about it being used that way and that's the way I think Cush was probably using it.

That gets to my point. I think pro-level athletes are getting guys like Victor Conte and Patrick Arnold from the old BALCO scandal to come up with new drugs and drug cocktails to boost their performance that won't trip the tests that are currently being used. Like hGH, which has probably been phased out now that they're coming up with tests for it. Or like the blood doping techniques that bikers use except specific to football.

The problems with injuries could come from not having the off-season workouts but it could also come from guys no longer using hGH because the new CBA allows for hGH testing to start.

I agree. I dont know a lot about supplements and ped's but I know enough about them and have been around guys that use them to know they are always looking to stay a step ahead.

If Cushing is taking something hopefully he stays ahead of the testers and hopefully he's not doing harm to his long term health. That would suck for him.